


studies in time

by mimiwrites



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Cat Cafés, Falling In Love, Fantasy, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Magic, Urban Fantasy, With A Twist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-13 05:41:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28773267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mimiwrites/pseuds/mimiwrites
Summary: Sakusa needs somewhere quiet and cool to write his thesis paper, and ends up in an unlikely café with a troublesome artisan.
Relationships: Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi
Comments: 10
Kudos: 134





	studies in time

**Author's Note:**

> this my secret santa gift @/dandellieons/@/tellietubbs on twitter! i tried to combine your prompts for sakuatsu, fantasy/magic, cat cafes, and falling in love. i hope you like it! 🖤

The scent of lavender being carried on a light breeze is not enough to calm a particularly agitated grad student. For Sakusa, the summer is awful. It’s too hot, too stuffy. His own apartment didn’t have air conditioning and it had become so stifling that he hastily packed his books and left. He walks along a cobblestone road, attempting to find somewhere cool, quiet, and clean for him to finish his studies. His thesis paper on ancient runes is due in just a few months, but the damned heat is making it too hard to think.

He’s never been to this part of town before, usually sticking to his own block and the university. At the corner he sees a wooden sign for a bakery with some animal carved on to it, a cat perhaps. As he gets closer he can smell the fresh breads coming out of the ovens. A bell rings as he walks through the door, and he’s pleased to see that there is an open seat in a comfortable looking armchair toward the back, with its own table. He forgets to pay any mind to anything else as he heads straight for it.

“You plan on buyin’ somethin’?” an amused voice calls out. 

Sakusa freezes, feeling like a fool. 

“Oh. Right.”

He walks over to the counter, glancing quickly at the menu without actually reading any words. “An iced coffee. Please.”

He finally looks at the cashier, who is looking far too pleased by Sakusa’s awkwardness. Suddenly, the sign hanging outside the door makes sense. The man has a feline smirk that matches his pointed ears and long tail. Sakusa glances down and sees a nametag that reads ‘Atsumu.’ He tries not to pay him too much attention, he just wants to get back to work on his paper.

“Anythin’ else?” Atsumu asks. It’s sounds much closer to teasing than good hospitality allows. 

“No, just the coffee.” Sakusa places a couple bills on the counter, to finalize his point. But if Atsumu noticed, he ignored it.

“You sure?” he purrs. “We make our own stuff, ya know. Best baked goods in town.”

Sakusa stares at him, unimpressed by even that glowing review. 

“Can I go sit down now?”

Atsumu throws his head back and laughs. “Sure, sure, I’m just teasin’ ya… er, name?”

“Kiyoomi.”

“You got it, Omi-kun, iced coffee comin’ right up.” 

Atsumu winks at him and Sakusa rolls his eyes at the nickname. If he wasn’t so desperate he probably would have left by now. He turns on his heel and heads to the chair like he was originally intending to. He starts to pull out his things from his bag, getting himself situated and comfortable as he is planning on staying for a while. Atsumu drops off the iced coffee in a handmade mug right as he is finishing taking out his last notebook. 

“Let me know if I can be of more help,” he tells him with a smirk.  
“I’m sure you can’t,” Sakusa says flatly, causing Atsumu to laugh again. Nothing seems to rile him up, only encourage him.

“Yer really funny, ya know that?”

Sakusa ignores him in favor of finally, finally getting to work. He sips on the coffee, admittedly the best coffee he’s ever had, and gets to typing up his field notes.

He’s been studying ancient runes for years, a boring subject for many but not for him. Other mages looked down on it, calling it a dead language and pointless form of magic. Sakusa doesn’t care, the less people in the field the better, less people he’s forced to interact with. He likes being able to travel the world alone, studying renowned spots and on occasion, discovering hidden runes himself. His thesis is about some runes he found in Scotland. He was led there by some wisps, who initially got him trapped in a mudslide after a heavy downpour. He thinks they were testing his resolve, and after he got himself out of the awful mess, they showed him to a small cave that was revealed by the shifting mud. In it were runes that hadn’t seen the light of day in probably hundreds of years. It was a huge find, and something he is quite proud of.

A plate carrying a delicious looking scone being placed beside him breaks him out of his spell. 

“What…” Sakusa mumbles, looking up at Atsumu in confusion. “I didn’t order this.”

“I know, just looked like ya needed it,” Atsumu shrugs. “You’ve been here for hours and I haven’t seen ya eat anythin’.”

Sakusa looks at his wristwatch. Damn, it really has been a few hours since he first sat down. The sun is already starting to set, and he is suddenly aware of how stiff his back is, as well as how hungry he is. 

“Oh, thanks,” Sakusa mumbles, picking up the scone. “How m—“

“Whatcha workin’ on anyway?” Atsumu interrupts, looking over him to get a better look at the screen. Sakusa leans away on instinct. “A screenplay or somethin’?”

“What?” Sakusa almost scoffs. “No, nothing like that. It’s my dissertation.”

“Oh, so yer a student at the university? What degree?”

“...Ancient Runes.”

Sakusa prepares himself for the bored groan, or polite but uninterested acknowledgement that he’s doing a lot of work for something that isn’t used anymore. 

“Sounds nerdy.”

“It is not nerdy,” Sakusa defends. “It’s interesting, and probably far too complicated for you.”

“Probably.” Atsumu grins, canines poking out. “But try an’ explain it to me anyway.”

Sakusa stares at him with a calculating gaze, not expecting to be asked to actually speak more about it. Atsumu’s intrigue seems… genuine, and it is not wholly unwelcome. It’s rare that he gets to talk about his passion, even among his peers. 

“Well…”

And so Sakusa explains to him his life’s work. Atsumu occasionally quips in with some teasing, but actual questions as well. It isn’t exactly friendly, but not entirely antagonistic either. Some of the things he asks takes Sakusa off guard, not expecting such sophisticated questions from someone who claims to not know much about runes. Atsumu wants to know how it pertained to Sakusa, as well. Why he is interested in it, where he traveled in his studies, what he wants to do once he gets his degree. 

And… Sakusa finds himself asking about Atsumu too. He learns that this is his family’s bakery, that they are famous for their pastries and mochi, and how his twin brother is constantly coming up with his own recipes. That he is only working here to help out his folks, but what he really wants to do is see the world. He loves his family, but he’s tired of staying in the same old boring town his whole life. 

“What would you do, if you left?” Sakusa asks as he reaches for another red bean bun that Atsumu had grabbed at some point. “What do you like to do?”

“Don’t laugh,” Atsumu smiles sheepishly, so unlike the dozens of grins he’d worn earlier, and his ears droop a little. “I like to paint. Pretty useless, huh?”

“Not more useless than Ancient Runes.”

Atsumu laughs loudly and smacks Sakusa on the shoulder. 

“What do you like to paint, anyway,” Sakusa grumbles as he rubs his arm. 

“Mainly landscapes.” Atsumu looks out the window of the cafe. The sky is an array of deep oranges and pinks and purples, sunlight glittering along the sea in the distance. “I’ve painted that ocean and this town probably hundreds of times. It’s gettin’ kinda old.”

“So why don’t you travel?”

“Other than it being expensive?” Atsumu chuckles. “I want to, just... “

“Family?”

“Yeah. Like, I know they’d support it, but… I dunno.”

They sit in silence, watching the sun get further and further down the horizon. The sky darkens to a beautiful purple, with deep blues beginning to creep in. 

“I used to hate traveling,” Sakusa admits. “Still sort of do, actually. Portkeys make me nauseous, and I’m even worse on planes.”

“Do ya ever go with anyone?”

“No.”

“Hm.” Atsumu eyes him carefully, like he wants to say something. But in the end he just shakes his head and gets up from his chair. “Well, I gotta start closin’ up.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize how late it is.” For the second time since entering the cafe, Sakusa got completely lost in the passage of time. He starts to shove his things in his bag hurriedly. 

“Take yer time,” Atsumu tells him, waving as he goes behind the counter. “Yer not in my way or anythin’.”

Sakusa isn’t sure if he’s being facetious or not, but he slows down in the slightest as he finishes packing up. He doesn’t turn to say goodbye as he heads for the door.

“You gonna come back?” Atsumu calls out. 

Sakusa stops. Despite Atsumu annoying him and invading his space, he did get a lot of work done today. And it was comfortable, there was good coffee, good food… he could put up with Miya Atsumu if it meant he got to do his work here.

“Yeah, I’ll be back.” He doesn’t look behind him to see Atsumu’s smirk.

Sakusa does come back the next day, and the next, and the next. He almost always stays until closing. Atsumu will complain about how he’s a terrible customer, staying late and not tipping well, but then will stop Sakusa from trying to leave or pay for the extra treats he brings him. It’s confusing as much as it is annoying, but Sakusa stays. He finds that when he’s in his empty apartment, he has a hard time writing. Even though he hates crowds and most interactions with other people, being in a different space helps him think. The Miya's cafe start to feel like his other home.

It becomes routine for them both. Atsumu has his order ready right before he walks through the door, every time. Sometimes, on his walk over, Sakusa will think of a new pastry he wants to try, and when he walks in it's waiting on a plate for him. He has accused Atsumu of having prophetic or even telepathic powers more than once, but Atsumu swears he can’t do any magic like that. 

Atsumu makes designs in the foam of his lattes. At first, Sakusa didn’t think much of it, he’s seen it done at other cafes. But then they start to become more and more intricate, and he notices in them the symbols of some of the runes he was telling Atsumu about. Proof that he is actually listening to Sakusa. He is oddly touched by the gesture, though he can’t begin to figure out why.

“You do these?” Sakusa asks, almost in awe.

“Yeah,” Atsumu smiles with a shrug. “Another useless talent, I know.”

“No, it's… art.”

Atsumu is taken aback, not expecting the sincerity in Sakusa’s compliment. He looks away and scratches his ear. “Thanks…”

Eventually, the summer heat gives way to a crisp breeze, and the leaves all turn shades of red and orange. Sometimes, Sakusa will watch Atsumu paint them on his breaks. His work is incredible, even Sakusa must admit it, but he can tell that Atsumu is yearning for something different, for something more. Sakusa is too, though for what he isn't sure. He just knows that when he looks at Atsumu now, he wants for something. He doesn’t know what to say, so he says nothing.

Autumn brought more people to the cafe, but Sakusa doesn’t dare entertain the idea of finding somewhere else to go. He’s carved out a space for himself here, and he’s in the final weeks before his dissertation is due. He was already staying long and late hours before, but now even more so. Atsumu will poke him about the bags under his eyes, telling him he needs to get more beauty sleep. He also knows the perfect moment to come over and pester Sakusa away from his laptop. He'll walk by and tickle Sakusa with his tail, drop off a new drink or snack. Atsumu even helps him work through the parts he gets stuck on.

“Whatcha grumblin’ about now, Omi-kun?” Atsumu hovers over Sakusa’s shoulder to look at the screen. It sends a sensation through Sakusa’s body and he doesn't flinch away. He used to think it was disgust, but now… 

“I can’t find the words to explain this properly,” Sakusa groans. “The words are there in my head, but I can’t make them make sense on paper.”

“So say ‘em.”

“What?”

“Tell me, idiot,” Atsumu chuckles lightly. “Work through ‘em with me.”

Dictating his messy thoughts does end up being helpful. As the words flood out of his mouth they seem to sort themselves together nicely. Atsumu pulls them apart and sets them out, helping to lead Sakusa in the direction he’s trying to go. He’s never tried to work with someone else before, in any capacity. He always turned his nose up at it, but now he is beginning to understand why people did it. Even though Atsumu frustrates him, he also challenges him, and that leads Sakusa closer to where he wants to be. 

All too soon, a light snow blankets the streets and rooftops. They celebrate together when Sakusa finally submits his thesis. It’s nothing big, just the two of them in the cafe after closing. Atsumu has a tray of different homemade mochi treats, all of Sakusa’s favorite flavors.

“Did Osamu make these?” Sakusa teases.

“No!” Atsumu says hotly, his ears drooping. Then, almost too quiet to hear, “He supervised.” 

“Thank you.” Sakusa’s voice comes out softer than he means it to, than he’s used to. 

They snack on them together as they watch the snow fall outside. Yule was just around the corner. Neither of them can quite believe how quickly the months had gone by. 

“Guess this means ya won’t be spending all yer time around here anymore, huh?” Atsumu muses.

“Well…” Sakusa shrugs.

“Whatcha gonna do now?”

“After Yule I’ll be heading back to Scotland for a bit, before traveling around Europe. There’s some mages there I’m to meet, and hopefully more runes to study.”

Atsumu’s eyes widen at the news. “Oh, wow. That’s… far, and, uh, soon.”

“Yeah.” Sakusa has more he wants to say, to ask, but the words aren’t forming right. And the one person he would go to help him with it is the very person he is trying to confess to. He isn’t sure when it happened, but he’d developed feelings for Atsumu. “I… am going to miss this place.”  
Atsumu perks up a little, his voice hopeful. “You are?” 

“Yes. It’s been extremely valuable during my work. And, well, I suppose you have too.”

Atsumu leans towards him grinning. “Ya think I’m extremely valuable?”

Sakusa scoffs and rolls his eyes. He thinks about taking it back. 

“Hey,” Atsumu says more quietly. “I’ve never really shown ya my magic, have I?”

Sakusa furrows his brows and shakes his head. Truthfully, he had assumed Atsumu had magical abilities even though he never saw him use it. Atsumu had told him before that they don’t use any magic for their baking, although he did put Sakusa’s mind at ease by telling him they all use a spell to not shed while they work.

“I can do some,” Atsumu continues, holding Sakusa’s gaze. “Not a lot, but little things.”

“Like what?”

“Like this.”

Sakusa feels a sort of tingling sensation above his head, and when he looks up there is now a mistletoe hanging. He looks back at Atsumu curiously.

“Well, whaddya say, Omi-kun?” Atsumu grins. “Wanna honor an old tradition with me?”

“You are unbelievable…” Sakusa mumbles, but he allows himself to lean forward anyway.

While it is numbingly cold outside, this kiss was nothing but warm. The warmth spread from his lips to his face, down to his chest, making its home there. 

Sakusa’s eyes are closed, but he feels Atsumu scoot closer and rest a hand on his knee, feels Atsumu's tail wrap around him gently. In return, Sakusa angles his face to the side and cups Atsumu’s check in his hand. Atsumu makes a sound close to purring.

Sakusa can count the amount of people he’s kissed on one hand, and still have some fingers left over, but this one feels so different from the others. He expected if he and Atsumu were to ever kiss, not that he thought about it, that it would be hasty, frenzied. And perhaps there could come a time where they kissed like that, but in this moment it was anything but hurried. They took their time, like time had no meaning and no authority over them. 

“Gonna miss ya while yer gone,” Atsumu mumbles between kisses, nuzzling Sakusa's cheek. 

“Really?”

“Not gonna be as fun.” He takes a moment to flash a toothy grin, his lips pink and full. “Who else am I gonna tease?”

“I’m sure you’ll find someone else to antagonize…” Although, Sakusa found himself wishing he didn’t. 

“None as fun as you.”

Sakusa looks at him closely, calculatingly. It takes him but a few moments to make up his mind, and one more chaste kiss for courage. 

“You should… come with me.”

Atsumu’s eyes nearly leave him, and his tail flicks in surprise. “Are you serious?”

“Scotland has beautiful landscapes,” Sakusa reasons. “I’m sure you could find something to paint.”

“I…” 

There is a hesitance in Atsumu that Sakusa didn’t quite anticipate. He would have thought Atsumu would have been jumping at the opportunity to go. It kind of annoyed him. 

“You always talk about wanting to leave,” Sakusa challenges. “Is it just talk?”

Atsumu continues to stare at him in shock before his expression changes. A sly grin spreads to his face and when he looks back at Sakusa there is a mischievous glint in his eyes. He takes one of Sakusa’s hands in his and gives it a small lick, causing Sakusa to grimace in disgust.

“Well, how can I pass up an opportunity like that, when it means I get to play with ya some more?”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! 
> 
> @/fakeanimeboi on twitter


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